* Alan Smith reveals Ferguson sent a thank you letter.
From the Stun:
"I must have done something right when I was there for the manager to take the time to send me a message like that.
"I was really pleased to get the letter. He thanked me for my contribution to Manchester United and told me what a difficult decision it was to sell me.
"I understand that. There are no hard feelings."
* Danny Simpson has been given a new three-year deal at United.
* The Sun:
A pilot sacked by easyJet for boozing before take-off is back in the air — flying stars around in a luxury private jet.
Captain Edwina Aveling, 43, was arrested by German police as she was about to fly an Airbus 319 from Berlin in 2005.
But little more than a year later she landed a glitzy job piloting an eight-seater Cessna Citation executive jet.
Her passengers have included Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton, club manager Sir Alex Ferguson, midfielder Ronaldo and striker Louis Saha.
Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips, X Factor boss Simon Cowell and the show's winner Leona Lewis have also flown with her.
An airline source said yesterday: "Drink-drivers get the book thrown at them but the rules appear to be different if you fly a plane.
She was allegedly sacked for committing the cardinal sin in the aviation industry. Despite that she now has a dream job.
I'm not sure how her rich clients would react if they knew the allegations about her past."
Aveling, of Horley, Surrey, earns more than £70,000 a year as senior pilot at 247jet in Southend, Essex.
She was sacked by easyJet after a barman tipped off cops that she was boozing until 3am, then got up at 5.30am to fly 120 passengers to Basle, Switzerland.
* New Real Madrid boss Bernd Schuster:
"AC Milan are favourites (for the Champions League). Right now they're the only team capable of beating Sevilla, as they did in the Super Cup. They have been playing together two years and that is noteworthy.
"Milan is never tired of winning titles, like a good team they repeat and repeat. Liverpool is not so attractive in its game, but it is an ugly team to play, hard and difficult. It is not necessary to remind people how tough they made it for Barcelona last season.
"If I had to choose between strengths of two great teams in the world, I would take the attack of Manchester United and the defence of Chelsea. The aggression of Sevilla also interests me."